How To Practice Chess
The most common way to learn how to play chess is by studying openings, or starting positions that are designed for a certain style of game. By knowing what opening every player uses, you can pick a specific one and study it, just as people who like football team uniforms recognize the pattern and structure of each other’s jerseys.
A good place to start with this concept is the Queen’s Gambit Accepted. This article will go into more detail on this opening, but for now just know that it starts off with a very open setting and then moves into a much more structured position.
Practicing the Queen’s Gambit in these stages is a great way to get familiar with the opening before moving onto another part of your chess career.
Play chess online
Online chess is the best way to learn how to play chess. There are many different sites that offer free games with limited moves or no limitations at all. Most of these sites have beginner levels where you can learn basic concepts like check-mating your opponent, protecting certain pieces, or countering their attacks.
Some sites also allow you to create an account so you can continue practicing away from home. This is very helpful as you do not need to be close to a computer to practice!
There are even mobile apps for smartphones and tablets now! You get the same quality experience without having to use the computer nearby. By doing this, you will always have access to a game anywhere!
This article’s writer recommends Sitechess.com because they seem to focus more on educating new players than giving them full diamonds which cost around $20 per month. They also offer a free 30 day trial period which can be extended if needed.
Practice playing against a computer
While there is no need for this, some people still feel that practicing by just using an app or software version of chess is the best way to improve your game. This is not true at all!
Practicing with a friend or against the computer is great, but investing in a good quality chess program is much better than having someone watch you play online while you practice.
A beginner player should try out at least one such product before deciding if it’s worth buying. Some free ones are available as well. There are even smartphone apps now!
There is no wrong choice here, but make sure what you get works for you and gives you the most efficient learning experience.
Learn how to read a chess position
The first step towards improving your game is learning how to look at a chess position and determine what you know about it. You will need to be able to recognize good moves, bad moves and positions that are in between.
You can learn how to do this by studying different types of openings, understanding variations and concepts such as pawn structures or en passant. Once you have mastered those, then move onto more advanced concepts like knight vs rook endgames or other esoteric ideas like checkmate via pawn promotion!
The internet is full of great resources for practicing beginner level chess. There are many free websites and apps with interactive lessons, exercises and games. By trying out new strategies and skill-sets, you will quickly pick up some tips and tricks from across the board.
There are also plenty of online forums where players come together to discuss the game. As with any social activity, there is always someone who has something clever they learned or a question about the rules.
Learn how to determine the best move
Even if you are very strong, there is still an important part of chess that most people do not learn- determining the best move! This can be tricky at times because sometimes it seems like two moves are almost exactly alike in strength, so which should you choose?
The easiest way to figure out when this happens is by using the En Passant Principle. The en passant rule says that when one player makes a move that gives away their king, then what they did just became the next move for their opponent.
So instead of choosing one option over the other, evaluate both options and see who would win more quickly.
Always make the best possible move
A lot of people think that chess is all about making the best moves every time, but this is not true at all! This would be like saying football is just a matter of throwing the ball as far forward as you can.
Football is also about passing the ball around the field in clever ways so your team can score, but this doesn’t mean that kicking the ball hard is wrong. It is actually very important for players to know when to use brute force instead of smart play.
When you are practicing chess, looking to make strong moves every now and then is fine, but trying to do it too often will only hurt your game.
Understand the importance of tactics
A tactic is an action that promises to solve or get around a more powerful opponent’s strategy. Your goal is to use a tactic before his strategy works against you!
Most people understand the term “tactic”, but they don’t know what to do with it. Some organize a tactical game by themselves, trying to trick their mind into thinking up tricks for solving puzzles.
This isn’t quite right because organizing a tactic in your head doesn’t really help you execute it. You have to think about how to accomplish the tactic, so making guesses can sometimes hinder your ability to succeed.
Luckily, there are some simple rules about chess tactics that apply to most situations. By learning these basic strategies, you’ll be able to concoct clever moves quickly and effectively.
The basics of chess tactics include knowing when to use them and which ones work best in different types of games.
Learn how to force a win
A good practice is to learn how to practice your chess strategically. This means learning how to create an opening or endgame position that you know will definitely lead to a victory, or at least a very close victory for your side.
A classic example of this is when someone who has just been checkmated learns how to do it themselves! When they are able to take down their own champion, then you can be sure that they have mastered the game.
The same thing applies in chess. If you want to really improve your game, then try creating positions that you know must result in a loss for your opponent.
There are many ways to achieve this. You could develop a strong move like pawn-queen next to each other, for instance, or make a bad trade such as giving away too much material.
Alternatively, you could go wrong with a poorly thought out plan which leaves your king vulnerable.
Keep an eye on the clock
The next thing you will want to do is learn how to practice chess! This can be done in many different ways, but most people start by making sure they have enough time to devote to practicing every day.
Many people begin practicing at the beginning of their chess game with the intention to spend just half an hour each night. But this really doesn’t work because soon you won’t have any free time!
The best way to make sure you are investing your time effectively is to allocate one or two hours per week for formal practice. You may also choose to focus more on specific types of training during this period, such as working on speed, technique, strategy or anything else that feels sluggish to you.
After all, if you feel like you are moving too slowly then it makes sense to try and pick up the pace! Doing so could help unleash your potential and bring about breakthroughs in your play.